Caught in A Bad Bromance
by fridamoonbeam
Summary: Derek has to attempt to make a new friendship with Rick Castle to help his career and personal life. This has spoliers for "Seasons of Love" and "Another Man's Treasure". Featuring Ivy and Shelby Corcoran


Derek spit the Listerine out of his mouth before the time was up, completely disgusted. "You cannot be serious."

Shelby rolled her eyes, rubbing her pomegranate body creme on her hands and elbows, laying on the covers talking to her new husband (with a very old history) "You wanted a solution to your problem."

"Become friends with CASTLE? I would rather shove a chopstick in my eye." Derek said wiping off the sink and tossing the towel.

"Quiet, you're gonna wake up Beth! And I have no idea why you even ask for opinions when you don't want to hear them." Shelby remarked piling her loose hair in a bun. Reuniting with Derek was nothing she was ever intending to do since they parted a long time ago, but it did end up happening for them. She loved him, really she did, but that didn't mean he couldn't be a crotchety ass sometimes.

"How is that a solution? We mutually hate each other, it makes for a tolerable co-existence."

"I don't see Rick hating anyone." Shelby commented earning a look from Derek. "Does he strike you as the kind of guy who thinks hours on end about how he can't stand someone?"

"Well he did about me with that little BOOK of his." Castle, that overgrown manchild had caused Derek a rather large set back. The fool had become enamored with Ivy and wanted her story, when the blasted book was published Ivy was painted as this tragically heroine with areas of gray, while the character that represented Derek was Satan sacrificing any little ingenue he as he pleases for his evil goals. It was heavily implied to be based on the production of Bombshell. While Castle never came out and fully said they were his inspirations all signs were pointing in that direction. Derek confronted Castle about it, and he bastard just laughed and said "No, this guy is an inch shorter than you, he's completely different." Derek looked the brunette over, cocking an eyebrow. "Did you and Ivy plan this? I've apologized to her, more than once." Those two were as thick as thieves and wouldn't put it passed her to formulate this.

Smart ass. "Ivy is more than over it, she's got Rick, a good part, she's fine, and no she and Rick don't know about this. But think about it, if people think you guys are friends then that will kill any doubt that guy is you."

"BASED on me." Derek corrected. "And do you think people would really buy that?"

"They've bought worse... And what about Beth?"

"What about Beth?" Derek had no idea what the little girl had to do with this. He'd hadn't wanted children for the longest time, but almost a year ago he found out he had a teenage daughter with Shelby and that forced him to look at things a little differently. Also Shelby had adopted a daughter named Beth. She was much less annoying than other children, not that he had been around many for an extended period of time, but he also knew if he wanted her mother than he was going to put his best effort forward to gain Shelby's trust when it came to the little girl. He did find a fondness for her, perhaps it was because she didn't respond well to many strangers but for some reason beyond him enjoyed being held by him.

"Do you want her to think it is about you?" Shelby looked right into his eyes to make sure he knew she was serious about how important this was, besides his future projects. "Beth is going to need someone to look upto."

If he wasn't in this with her, she was done, Derek knew that, Shelby made it clear when decided to give things another go. He hated being wrong, he hated being obviously wrong but Shelby, and a little girl had bested him, and now he was going to have to take it like a man. "I'll call him tomorrow."

Shelby kissed him deeply. "I'm very proud of you." she slipped her arms around him.

"You realize this means I'm getting lucky tonight." he said also embracing her.

"Well of course..."

The next morning after Shelby took Beth to their nanny Derek look at the phone in his hand as if it was a battle of wits, trying to think of reasons to talk himself out of contacting Castle. He knew it was just not going to happen. He groaned then dialed the number hoping the buffoon was distracted by something shiny so Derek could say he tried but nothing came of it.

"For Richard Castle, please press one."

Derek rolled his eyes. Of course he would answer the phone that way. "Yes, Richard, this is Derek Wills."

"Derek, you sound distinctly less British and angry I wouldn't have recognized you. How are you today?" Rick said with a very easy charm.

"Absolutely peachy. Listen, I'll get to my point I'm interested in talking to you about your Nikki Heat series and a possible project we could construct from it." Derek said not wanting to stay on the phone.

"Hmm? Like a musical? There's the movie coming out, I don't really know what you'd have in mind to use."

"I have a few ideas, when would you be free to discuss them?"

"Thursday around 8:30 is the best I have this week."

"That can work for me too, all right, Thursday at Christoph's then?" It was a breeding ground for tabloid fader and wanted to get this over with.

"Hmm, not a fan of Chistoph's. What about Tino's? It's a little more quiet and we'll have time to talk about the deets."

The deets? Derek rubbed his forehead, "All right 8:30 at Tino's on Thursday, I'll see you then."

"Sounds good, have a wonderful day." Rick hung up.

Derek sighed and looked over at a mirror in the living room. "What happened to you?" He then looked at Shelby's candle on the fireplace. "Right, love."

Ivy was cutting up a banana and added it to her smoothy during Rick's little conversation. "Was that Derek? What did he want?"

"To save himself some humiliation and try to act like we're friends."

"You don't have to go, I got my apology and I got you, I'm good." Ivy said talking that pressure off him to somehow put Derek in his place more.

"I know but he can squirm a bit more then it'll just be fun for me." Rick said kissing her cheek.

Ivy smirked, "Be careful, he's still married to my friend."

"No worries neither one of us will really wanting to be there."

"You are wonderful, but if he tries to seduce you, I'll kill him." she laughed pressing 'blend' on her breakfast.

"Ew, I don't want to do it with Derek, he'd probably call me his mom's name and wanna watch Downton Abbey afterwards." Rick joked.

Ivy just tossed her head back and laughed, "That's your biggest reservation?"

"There's about three, no maybe four other ones too." he smirked then kissed her. "It'll be fine."

Derek waited outside of Tino's as the busy nightlife of New York was ever in full force, He dressed in a charcoal shirt with his black jacket, a scarf and some gray pants. He folded his arms for warmth and because he was not looking forward to spending time with Castle, at all.

Rick came down the street in a camel colored jacket with a blue shirt underneath. He waved to the other man. "You're early, I wouldn't have expected differently."

"I'd hate to disappoint. They're ready for us inside now." Derek said as if he was standing in line at the DMV.

Rick shrugged then followed him inside, they were seated and ordered drinks and sat back. Derek figured it was busy enough someone would have seen them talking to other another, or not.

"So, I am curious about this 'Nikki Heat' project you were talking about. What ideas did you have?" Rick was wondering if the guy would put on a huge sham like this and how far he would go to keep it going.

Derek sighed, "There was a premise I had in mind for taking a darker route than the last project. Theater is always expanding, there are no bad ideas just bad performers."

"And directors, keep going."

Derek pursed his lips then continued. "Of course, any series like the one you've written it is better to go for an alternative and understated motif."

"Like Rent?"

"No, more along the lines of Spring Awakening, if you want a point of reference in mind. It would take place accordingly then the characters would voice their inner thoughts to the audience."

"Hmm, sounds interesting so far did you have a lyricist in mind, or a composer?"

"I was considering Levitt and Houston."

"I could picture that cause of Hard Money. Tell me more..." At this Rick just smirked at him.

Derek sighed "How did you know?"

"Over 30 best selling mysteries, and five years shadowing the NYDP?"

Derek couldn't resist a smirk to the man, "I under-estimated you it seems."

"A lot of people have, so you are pardoned." Castle said taking his drink.

"Then why did you come if you knew it was all made up?"

"I wanted to burry the hatchet for Ivy. Plus, I wanted to see if you actually would come up with anything."

"She's still upset?" Derek was sure Shelby just said Ivy was more than all right with things now.

"No, she's good, I was the one who was still pissed."

"I didn't take you for the petty type." Derek quirked a brow.

"I love her, but in a way me being ticked off about it made it easier for her to let it go..."

Derek was surprised Castle was this calculated and really this protective. Why was he surprised by how successful he was? Anyone who was thrown out of as many colleges as he was should have only been qualified to scrape road kill off the highway... but he'd built an empire and that as much as Derek wanted to couldn't just write it off. "I see... This doesn't mean we're friends now."

"Oh Derek, don't hide from your feelings." Rick said touching his heart.

"Shut up."


End file.
